Adolescent Health Gateway

Resources for Parents

Pamphlets

These are general pamphlets that cover basic issues depending on the teen's age and risk profile.

Letter to Parents of Teenagers introduces teen services that are available and the concept of a teen-friendly clinic. It encourages parents to be involved in their teen's healthcare, but also introduces the concept of transitioning to a more independent patient-provider relationship.

The “Shoulder to Shoulder: Raising Teens Together” brochure for parents is available in both English and Spanish and can be downloaded as a PDF or ordered by visiting the Shoulder to Shoulder website.

Books

How to Talk so Teens will Listen and Listen so Teens will Talk(Faber, Adele and Elaine Mazlish, 2005) Improve your relationships with your teen through more effective communication.

Get Out of My Life, but First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall?: A Parent's Guide to the New Teenager. (Wolf, Rev. updated edition, 2002). Anthony Wolf's book attempts to explain adolescents' behavior to their parents. It contains chapters on a variety of subjects (e.g., school, sex, suicide), as well as such themes as "What They Do and Why."

The Growing Season: A Parent’s Guide to Positive Parenting of Teens (video and Parent handbook) (Pitzer, Ronald. University of Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota, 2000. To order call 800-876-8636).

Why Do They Act that Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen. (Walsh, 2004) Dr. David Walsh is a nationally known expert in adolescence and parenting. He explains in easy to understand language how the changes in the brain during adolescence bring about many of the behavior problems often associated with teenagers. He also offers practical solutions for parents on how to deal with a broad range of behavioral issues.

Videos

Positive Parenting. This video-based parenting education curriculum, which focuses on disciplining and nurturing children by means other than physical punishment, was developed by the Universities of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Positive Parenting of Teens is devoted specifically to raising adolescents.

SIECUS.The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) is a national, nonprofit organization that develops, collects, and disseminates information, promotes comprehensive education about sexuality, and advocates the rights of individuals to make responsible sexual choices. The site includes educational information on parenting, as well as an annotated bibliography.

Talking About Sex: A Guide for Families. (Planned Parenthood Federation of America). Designed for families with kids ages 10 to 14, Talking About Sex attempts to teach kids how to protect themselves as well as to foster positive self-images.

Intermedia, Inc. This site offers a number of videos of interest to adolescents. These include:

Web Sites

Harvard University's Parenting Project. This site includes a downloadable copy of Raising Teens: A Synthesis of Research and a Foundation for Action, the Project's most recent report, as well as lists such as Five Basics of Parenting Adolescents (with an accompanying set of strategies).

The National Parenting Center. This site contains information on parenting, including articles on keeping the lines of communication open, socializing and body image, talking about sex, talking about drugs, privacy, suicide, and divorce.

The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) is a national, nonprofit organization that develops, collects, and disseminates information, promotes comprehensive education about sexuality, and advocates the rights of individuals to make responsible sexual choices. The site includes educational information on parenting, as well as an annotated bibliography.

The Shoulder to Shoulder: Raising Teens Together. The mission of Shoulder to Shoulder is to support parents of teens and other caring adults. Their website contains useful parenting tips, a parenting blog, a monthly newsletter, and information on adolescent specific topic areas such as alcohol and drugs, and mental health.